Fire-escape.



W. H. HALE.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1913.

1,1 13,158. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHBET 1.

INVENTOR nm-zssss I WH-Ha W 7 $7 am W. H. HALE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1913. 1 118 158. Patented 0ct.6,1914. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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54 A 017 U H I ET J \1 J3 3 $5 20 INVENTOR M WH. Hale, W 37 52 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY HALE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL'VANILA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH T0 PAUL WINFREY, ONE-TENTH TO WILLIAM B; SHORTER, ONE-TENTH TO B. J.

JETTER, ONE-TENTH 'ro LOUIS WILLIAMS,

AND ONE*TENTH TO WILLIAM THOMAS, ALL or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VVILLIAM HENRY HALE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing. at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to fire escapes and has for its object, to provide a device of such class, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, for quickly and conveniently projecting an element of the device to the necessary height, so, that one in a danger zone, can be quickly removed therefrom.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a fire escape, which, when in inoperative position is very compact and which can be quickly extended to operative position and braced when extended to prevent any liability of the device collapsing.

' Further objects of the invention are to provide a fire escapewhich is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, efficient in its use, readily set up, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. v

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and. modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference "denote corresponding parts throughout the several views :-Figure l'isa side elevation of a fire escape in accordance with this invention and illustrating the same in an inoperative or closed position, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the device ex tended or in an operative position, Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device with supporting members in section. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan illustrating the locking members.

Referring to the drawings in detail 6 and 7 denote a pair of supporting members, which are mounted upon any suitable sup- Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. a, 1914.

Application filed September 8, 1913. Serial No. 788,665.

port, the latter may be a vehicle or any other portable element. Depending from the members 6, 7 centrally thereof, are bearing brackets 8, 9, the brackets oppose each other and have journaled thereina rotatable shaft 10 upon which is fixed a drum 11 having a head 12 at each end thereof. The shaft 10 pro ects from the bracket 8 and carries on its projecting end a beveled gear 13, the latter meshing with a beveled gear 14 fixed at one end of a transmission shaft 15.

The reference characters 16, 17 denote bearings projecting laterally from the mem-' ber-6 and through which extends the shaft 15. Mounted UPOIl' thB members 6, 7 are a pair of bearings 18, 19 in which is rotatably mounted a'shaft 20, thelatter projecting from each of said bearings and carrying on one end a beveled gear 21 which meshes with a" beveled gear 22 fixed to the other end of the shaft lb. Connected to the shaft :20 so,

as to rotate therewith is a drum 23 provided with heads 24.

Mounted upon the members 6, 7 and spaced from the bearings 18, 19 is a pair of bearings 25, 26, in' which is revolubly mounted a shaft 27 having connected thereto so as to revolve therewith a drum 28 provided with heads-291' The shaft 27 projects from the bearing 26 .and has its projecting end provided with a beveled gear which meshes with a beveled gear 31, carried on one end of a transmission shaft 32. Projecting laterally from the member 7 is a pair of bearing brackets 33 through which extends the shaft 32and the latter has its other end provided with a beveled gear 34?, which meshes'with a beveled gear 35 fixed on the other end of the shaft 20.

The projecting end of the shaft 10 is squared, as at 36, to detachably receive a crank or other implement for rotating said shaft 10, in either direction, whereby the drums 11, 23 and 28, will be revolved due to the fact that they are operatively connected together by the transmission herein referred to.

The shaft 15 is disposed upwardly at an inclination, while the shaft 32 extends longitudinally.

Mounted upon each of the members 6, 7 centrally thereof, is an inverted ti-shaped supporting frame 37, the said frames oppose each other and have mounted upon the top thereof a pivot rod 38 which is maintained in position by the-cap pieces 39 and which supports a lazy-tong structure referred to generally by thereference character 40. The lower arms of said structure and which are indicated by the reference characters 41,42

are mounted upon the rod 38, the arms 42 at their lower ends being connected by a bar 44 and the arms 41 attheir lower ends being connected by a bar 45. Secured to the bars 44 and 45 are the ends of a flexible cable 46 which Winds and unwinds upon the drum'll and when winding upon the drum 11 the lower ends of the arms 41 and 42 are drawn toward each other, as shown in Fig. 3 thereby extending the lazy-tong structure, or in other words, elevating a platform 47 which is pivotally connected, as at 48 to a pair of opposing extending arms 49, 50 which are plvotally connected, as at 51 to the top of the lazy-tong structure. V\ hen the cable 46 unwinds from 011' the drum 11 the lower ends of the arms 41, 42 are moved away from each other whereby the lazy-tong structure is folded, or in other words, the platform 47 is lowered.

For the purpose of locking the lazy-tong structure when extended, to prevent any possibility of it folding, a pair of oppo; sitely disposed locking members are provided and which, when the lazy-tong structure is extended, are shifted to engage the arms 41, 42, as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereby the lazy-tong structure is maintained in an extended position. vEach of the locking members consists of a transverse bar 52, a pair of longitudinally extending bars 53 connected at one end to the bar 52 and at their other ends to a rock shaft 54 mounted in bearings 55. The bearings 55 depend from transverse brace members 56 secured to the supporting members 6, 7.

The bars 52 are provided with eyes 57, to which are connected the ends of a flexible member 58, the latter being adapted to wind and unwind upon the drum 11. The normal position of the member 58, that is the portions of said member which extend from the drum to the locking members is slack, as

masses clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, whereby the locking members will not start to shift toward locking position until the arms 41, 42 have been rocked a certain extent upon the pivotrod 38. The locking members are moved to inoperative position by the action of the lower ends of the arms 41, 42 when said lower ends move away from each other.

Connected to the eyes 56, which depend from the platform 47 are bracing cables 57 58, the former winding upon the drum 28 and the latter upon the drum 32.

What I claim is i- 1. A fire escape comprising a lazy-tong structure, a drum, a cable winding upon said drum for extending said structure, a pair of locking members, a cable winding upon said drum for shifting said locking members to engage said structure, thereby maintaining it extended, a platform carried by the structure, a pair of drums, bracing cables winding upon said pair of drums and connected to said platform, and means for operating all of said drums in unison.

2. A fire escape comprising an extensible and contractible lazy-tong structure, means connected with the lower portion of said structure for extending it, locking members for said structure operated from said means, flexible bracing elements for said structure, and a pair of drums operated from said means for winding said bracing elements.

3. A fire escape comprising a lazy-tong structure provided with a platform, means connected to the lower end of said structure for extending it, a pair of locking members operated from said means and adapted to engage the lower portion of said structure for locking it, flexible bracing elements connected to said platform, and drums operated from said means for winding said bracing elements.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

Max H. Snonovrrz, C. Hoover. 

